Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to study of blast injuries, the brain and resulting psychiatric problems
A paper in Science Translational Medicine outlined how military veterans suffering blast-related brain injury may be at increased risk for developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE, a degenerative brain disease found in people with a history of repetitive brain trauma. read more
expert reaction to recent stories of violent crimes involving perpetrators with mental illness
Following a number of stories of horrific attacks in which the perpetrator has a mental illness, and with the danger that these stories could feed into the myth that mental illness is equivalent to violence, the SMC sent out quotes from mental health professionals.
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expert reaction to decision not to launch the 1km balloon as part of the SPICE geoengineering research project
The team behind the SPICE (Stratospheric Particle Injection for Climate Engineering) project made the decision to cancel the test experiment planned for 2012. Matt Watson, lead scientist on the project, spoke out about the decision through the SMC. read more
expert reaction to study of the genetics of schizophrenia
A study mapping the genes and biological pathways involved in schizophrenia, suggesting that there is much more consistency in the genes and biological pathways involved in schizophrenia across populations than previously appreciated, was published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. read more
expert reaction to researchers’ protest over EPSRC funding
Protestors from a new lobby group, Science for the Future, staged a mock funeral outside Parliament and Downing Street for the ‘death of British science’. The protest was a response to the funding policy of the government agency the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. read more
Edzard Ernst raises concern over unreported effects of alternative medicine
Edzard Ernst, Professor of Complementary Medicine at University of Exeter Peninsula Medical School, raised the alarm about unreported adverse effects of alternative medicine, following an analysis of randomised controlled trials of alternative therapies. read more
de-regulation of cosmetic non-surgical laser and intense pulse light treatments
The popularity of Laser and Intense Pulse Light (IPL) cosmetic treatments has soared over the last decade, and until recently the use of lasers and IPLs was regulated under the Private and Voluntary Healthcare Act that required any such user to register with the Care Quality Commission. Following Government deregulation in non-surgical situations, experts from The Society for Radiological Protection came to the SMC to express their concerns ahead of the Major World Meeting on Radiation Protection in Glasgow. read more
expert reaction to American Psychiatric Association’s revisions of DSM5
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) announced some revisions of the soon to be published fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. This followed substantial unrest in the scientific and clinical community, and wide media coverage following a briefing held at the SMC with accompanying roundup comments. read more
expert reaction to testosterone levels and obesity
At The European Congress on Obesity (ECO) it was announced that raising blood testosterone levels to normal in older overweight or obese men with reduced levels of the hormone causes substantial weight loss and other health gains. read more
expert reaction to Lord Smith’s speech on clean energy
At a keynote speech, Environment Agency (EA) chairman Lord Smith gave his support for the controversial method of shale gas extraction, known as hydraulic fracturing or fracking, qualifying this with the need for simultaneous Carbon Capture and Storage programmes. read more
expert reaction to study of Co-proxamol withdrawal and suicide rates
PLoS Medicine published a 6 year study following the withdrawal of the analgesic co-proxamol in the UK in 2005, finding there was a major reduction in suicides involving this drug, without apparent significant increase in deaths involving other analgesics. read more
expert reaction to study of psychopathy and brain structure
A study in Archives of General Psychiatry found differences in brain structure between people with psychopathy from those with anti-social personality disorder. read more
expert reaction to research into Bisphenol A and monkey mammary gland development
Pregnant rhesus monkeys exposed to the chemmical bisphenol A (BPA) developed altered mammary glands, a study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports. read more
expert reaction to research on “switching off” neurodegeneration in mice
A study in mice suggested a common mechanism underlying nerve cell death in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and prion diseases. Published in Nature, the study suggests an avenue to develop treatments for these diseases. read more
expert reaction to new research into risk of birth defects to babies born using reproductive technologies
The New England Journal of Medicine published a paper which showed that an increased risk of birth defects linked with use of reproductive technologies was generally not due to treatment, but rather due to underlying factors, while unexplained differences in risk varied across different treatments. read more
expert reaction to new research on Greenland glacier
According to a study in Science, a decade-long record of nearly all of Greenland’s major glaciers suggests that that Earth’s sea level may not rise 2 full meters over the next century as previously predicted. read more
how safe is our food?
How do we know the food we eat is authentic – does it really contain what it says on the tin? And, most importantly, how do we know it is safe? Preceding a conference being held by The Government Chemist (at LGC), three experts from LGC came to the SMC to brief the media on the key topics in food science such as nanoparticles, food allergies, genetic testing, counterfeit food and consumer safety. read more
expert reaction to adaptation of an influenza virus
After months of controversy over two research papers which showed how the H5N1 flu virus could be mutated to become transmissible in humans, Nature published the first of the papers following a reversal of NSABB’s decision to restrict publication. read more
expert reaction to Open Letter from GM wheat field researchers at Rothamsted Research
Researchers at Rothamsted Research sent an open letter to protest group Take The Flour Back after it was announced the group were planning to destroy a field trial of GM wheat. Having held a press briefing to launch the field trial, the SMC helped to bring the open letter to the attention of the media and sent out accompanying comments. read more
HS2- what engineers think
The Secretary of State for Transport has now announced that a national high speed rail network – High Speed 2 – will go ahead, providing vital infrastructure links which will boost the economy for generations to come. Three expert independent engineers came to the SMC to discuss their thought on the pros and cons of this enormous and controversial rail project. read more